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† the glass factory. †
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ several centuries after it had last ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ belonged to us, we went on an outing to ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the glass factory that bore our family ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ name. it had changed owners many times ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ since our ancestors death, and then ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ stood abandoned for a long while. ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ finally, the natural end station for ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ the buildings that survive: a museum, ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ and a gift shop. ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ there's a long time since my family ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ made anything. by many, we would be ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ considered poor. ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ there are two main factory buildings, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ domed things of several floors, made in ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ reminescent of some cathedral. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ custom-made glass, of course, large and ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ practical. on the eastern building, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ some are shattered. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the other one is publicly open. there's ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ a museum, with wax figures of my great ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ great great grandfather, or something. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ glass of varying thickness. ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ †† ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ †† †† ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ ««««««« † † ««««««« ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ other building. the contrast is ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ overwhelming. it must have stood ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ derelict for a long time, windows ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ broken, metallic trash and pools of ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ dark glass all over the floor. no ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ electric lights, but i can see by the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ light that shines in wherever the dark ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ windows are missing a pane. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ however, the greatest difference is the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ higher floors: this building has none. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ it is one massive hall, stretching away ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ infinitely above me. somewhere up there ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ is some great iron latticework, from ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ where chains are suspended, and parts ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ of machinery has been falling down. ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ there is, in the middle of the great ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ hall, a thin spiral staircase that ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ leads up there. i sneak over there, and ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ take a few reluctant steps. after just ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ a revolution, i notice that for each ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ step the building starts to glow, the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ bricks turning a dark red, and then ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ orange, all the piled up debree being ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ lit from behind. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ i stop ready to run down and out, but ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ there's someone else on the staircase ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ with me now, pressed close. he's ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ looking like me, short hair and thin ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ arms, but with ears from some animal, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ and more disturbingly, completely made ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ of dark liquid glass. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ ««««««« † † ««««««« ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ †† †† ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ †† ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ my fear holds me in place while he ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ starts operating levers and dials set ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ it starts spinning, circling upwards. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ it's an elevator! i start to run ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ downwards, but now the liquid boy ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ creature grabs hold of me. i try to ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ shake him off, but he's too strong, and ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ pulls me back up beside him. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ this time, i turn angry instead. what ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the hell? who is this guy, acting like ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ this? i reach out my free arm and slam ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ a random lever. some metal bar is ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ suddenly released between us, hitting ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ him on the arm, forcing my release. i ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ shove him off of me, and he falls into ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ the levers, messing them up. ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ curtain is dropped around me. but the ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ elevator also speeds up significantly. ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ the walls are flaring now, yellow, ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ white, almost blue. i close my eyes and ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ curl into a ball. but then, the glass ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ boy screams, a piercing sound that ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ becomes too liquid, his body pooling ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ down in his now massive tail, and the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ drop that falls toward the factory ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ floor. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ he's crawling on the stairs, unable to ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ keep his body upright. can't reach the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ while his body is turning into dark ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ pearls. finally, he's lost too much of ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ himself and the scream is cut short. ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ the last of him rains down. ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ i still can't reach the levers from ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ within my cage. looking up, i try to ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ make out the ceiling, but it's all a ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ whirling sea of colours. below me glows ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ the hellfire of the factory walls, but ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ become still. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ««««««« † † ««««««« ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †† ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ a large clunk shakes my entire body, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ and snaps me back into reality. i'm ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ back at the factory floor, but the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ stairs are still moving slightly, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ clicking in place, carrying me the last ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ few centimeters. i came from below, ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ and i slowly dismount the stairs. ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
#@£¤$†;«,¨ ¨,«;†$¤£@#
@£¤$†;«,¨¨ shaking and crying, i make my way over ¨¨,«;†$¤£@
£¤$†;«,¨¨¨ the factory floor, wading through dark ¨¨¨,«;†$¤£
¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨ glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤
$†;«,¨¨¨¨¨ i see there's something faint inside ¨¨¨¨¨,«;†$
†;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ them. embryos? are these eggs? ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;†
;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ i shudder, and climb back out. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
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